Netherlands: A gaggle of greater than 25 nationwide resort associations throughout Europe has filed collective authorized motion in opposition to OTA Reserving.com within the Netherlands.
The lawsuit challenges the platform’s use of worth parity clauses, which required resorts to supply the identical or decrease charges on Reserving.com as on their very own web sites or different platforms.
The European Courtroom of Justice dominated in September 2024 that such clauses usually are not “ancillary restraints” underneath EU competitors legislation and will scale back competitors. The ruling adopted a case involving German resorts however is getting used to help wider claims throughout Europe.
The authorized motion is coordinated by the Stichting Resort Claims Alliance and is backed by HOTREC, which represents the European hospitality trade. It covers resorts that labored with Reserving.com between 2004 and 2024.
Accommodations that want to be part of the declare can register through the web site right here earlier than 31 July 2025.
Reserving.com has disputed the scope of the ECJ ruling, stating that it associated to a particular dispute in Germany and doesn’t imply its parity clauses are unlawful throughout Europe. The firm argues that such clauses stop free-riding and guarantee truthful competitors on its platform.
The result of the authorized motion might impression how on-line reserving platforms and resorts work collectively sooner or later.
Highlights:
• Greater than 25 nationwide resort associations throughout Europe have filed a collective authorized motion in opposition to Reserving.com within the Netherlands.
• The lawsuit challenges Reserving.com’s use of worth parity clauses, which required resorts to supply the identical or decrease charges on its platform as elsewhere.
• Whereas the case focuses on resorts, it raises wider questions on OTA platform practices and market competitors.
